Improvement in dredge-boxes



J, DALZELL.

Dredge-Boxes.'

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Patented Nov. 26,1872.

TJNrrED- STATES JAMES DALZELL, OF BIRMINGHAM, PENNSYLVANIA.

IMPROVEMENT IN DREDGE-BOXS. i

, Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 133,307Qdated November 26, 1&72.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JAMES DALZELL, of Birmingham, in the county of Allegheny and `State of Pennsylvania, have invented'a new and useful Improved Salt-Bred gin g Box; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full,

- clear, and exact description thereof, reference being had to the accompanying drawing making-a part ofthis specication, which represents my improvement by a vertical sectional view.

It has been found difficult, heretofore, to sprinkle salt from the ordinary dredging-boxes. Salt readily absorbs moisture from the atmosphere, in which case the crystals adhere to each other and form cakes or lumps inside the dredge-box, and also till up the dredgingholes in the cap, where they solidify so as to .but it may be made of sheet metal or other suitable material. The upper end is threaded, so that a screw-ring, b, may be screwed thereon. The upper end of the screw-ring b is flanged as at s. The perforatedtop a is preferably of sheet metal, and of the form of an f inverted cone or frustum of a cone, the lower end being flat, or rounded as in a dome, or coming to a point. The screw-ring bis put on so as to leave a little space, c, between the upper end of the body B and the flange s, in which space the perforated cap a may move freely up and down when the salt is being sprinkled from the box.

It will now bc seen that, when the box is used in the ordinary way, the salt ,instead-of striking against a stationary, fiat, perforated A top, as in the ordinary dredging-boxes, will in this strike against the inclined sides of the perforated conical top a, the e'ect of which will be to break up or pulverize any cakes which may have been formed inside; and the salt which, in consequence of moisture, may stick in the dredging-holes, will at the same time be jarred or shaken out by the motion of the cap a as it plays up and down in the space c. l

The construction of the ring, as well as of the devices by which it is secured to the box B, may be varied at pleasure, provided only what I deem the important features be retained-viz., the perforated top of the form, set forth, and the free play to the top; and this free play may be given to ordinary dredgebox tops with manifest advantage.

What I claim as my invention, and desire to secure. by Letters Patent, is-

In a dredge-box, a perforated top, a, substantially of the form of an inverted cone, frusturn of a cone, or dome, and having, when the box is in use, a vertical play independent of the box, as and for the purposes set forth.

In testimony whereof I, the`said JAMES DALZELL, have hereunto set my hand.

JAMES DALZELL. Witnesses: E. G. KREHAN,

J. L. MCBRATMEY. 

